Star Wars VII Coming as Disney Buys Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05B

Star Wars fans must have felt a tremor in the force today when their greatest wet dream (or horrific nightmare) became a 2015 reality… As reported by Wired and a million other parts of the interweb, Disney has purchased Lucasfilm Ltd. and the incredibly lucrative Star Wars franchise in a deal worth $4.05 billion.

Whatever you may think of the franchise, this is a big deal. Disney is stockpiling franchises it seems, grabbing Pixar, Marvel and now Lucasfilms Ltd. in the past 7 years.

For some, this is good news; securing the longevity of the Star Wars franchise with a new film promised for 2015. But the reaction wasn’t entirely positive…

For many, Disney is a corporate grab-all that threatens to amalgamate creative talent in the industry and forcibly edge out competition. And it’s worked out pretty well for both Disney and Lucas, who have collaborated in the past. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, “Lucas has a history with Disney dating back to when the “Star Tours” ride opened at Disneyland in 1987. They have since partnered on other theme park attractions and consumer products, prompting Lucas to describe his company as a “mini Disney”..”

So why is everyone so shocked that Lucas sold to Disney? Seems like the perfect crap factory marriage to me. I’m not a fan of the cookie cutter (albeit successful cookie cutter!) movies I’ve seen coming out of either end. But people adore these films, so I wasn’t surprised by the immediate response:

via MikhailS. “Umm I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. Star Wars, in spite of the bitter late crowd who feel consistently betrayed by Lucas, is a kids story at heart. Second Disney in spite [of] their notorious hungry capitalist perspective has been relatively smart enough to keep their claws away from the Pixar team (which incidentally Lucas started). Now they also have a deal with Marvel too.”

Very true! But I personally don’t think Pixar, the Marvel movie treatments, or Disney in general are great examples of creative ingenuity. I think there’s a danger in conglomerating creative enterprises under one ‘roof’ – even if they remain very separate, their business interests become entangled… rarely good for artistic output. Still, is a 7th Star Wars film is worth the potential risk of further damning the franchise?

Hey, I like Star Wars; I think the first movie is kitschy, the second is pretty solid, and the third is sappy. Hate all you want, but I dare you to watch the Christmas Special – produced and then unsuccessfully buried by Lucas – and tell me you think it’s a genius franchise. Never mind the controversy surrounding the newer prequels, and the subsequent digital altering of the original films.

via Andrew C. “I’ve been pissed ever since the digitally remastered original trilogy had Haden Christiansen super imposed at the end of Return if the Jedi…”

Of course, for every ‘hater’ there’s a devout fan who can’t wait to see what Disney/Lucas spits out. I’m the first to admit that I’ll watch the movie – though not in theatres, unless I’m invited to a free screening. If nothing else, this acquisition is a smart business move on the part of the Disney empire… too bad they can’t redeem Indiana Jones (unless Disney plans to buy that franchise off Paramount, too!)

I would love to know what YOU think of this deal, and what it may bear for the new Star Wars movie coming in 2015… ?